Nested U-Net-Based GAN Model for Super-Resolution of Stained Light Microscopy Images

The purpose of this study was to propose a deep learning-based model for the super-resolution reconstruction of stained light microscopy images. To achieve this, perceptual loss was applied to the generator to reflect multichannel signal intensity, distribution, and structural similarity. A nested U...

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Main Authors: Seong-Hyeon Kang, Ji-Youn Kim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Photonics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/12/7/665
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author Seong-Hyeon Kang
Ji-Youn Kim
author_facet Seong-Hyeon Kang
Ji-Youn Kim
author_sort Seong-Hyeon Kang
collection DOAJ
description The purpose of this study was to propose a deep learning-based model for the super-resolution reconstruction of stained light microscopy images. To achieve this, perceptual loss was applied to the generator to reflect multichannel signal intensity, distribution, and structural similarity. A nested U-Net architecture was employed to address the representational limitations of the conventional U-Net. For quantitative evaluation, the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity index (SSIM), and correlation coefficient (CC) were calculated. In addition, intensity profile analysis was performed to assess the model’s ability to restore the boundary signals more precisely. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed model outperformed both the signal and structural restoration compared to single U-Net and U-Net-based generative adversarial network (GAN) models. Consequently, the PSNR, SSIM, and CC values demonstrated relative improvements of approximately 1.017, 1.023, and 1.010 times, respectively, compared to the input images. In particular, the intensity profile analysis confirmed the effectiveness of the nested U-Net-based generator in restoring cellular boundaries and structures in the stained microscopy images. In conclusion, the proposed model effectively enhanced the resolution of stained light microscopy images acquired in a multichannel format.
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spelling doaj-art-8e4d9bccaa1f49059065a8c4f3d828e42025-08-20T03:08:13ZengMDPI AGPhotonics2304-67322025-07-0112766510.3390/photonics12070665Nested U-Net-Based GAN Model for Super-Resolution of Stained Light Microscopy ImagesSeong-Hyeon Kang0Ji-Youn Kim1Department of Radiological Science, Gachon University, Incheon 21936, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Dental Hygiene, Gachon University, Incheon 21936, Republic of KoreaThe purpose of this study was to propose a deep learning-based model for the super-resolution reconstruction of stained light microscopy images. To achieve this, perceptual loss was applied to the generator to reflect multichannel signal intensity, distribution, and structural similarity. A nested U-Net architecture was employed to address the representational limitations of the conventional U-Net. For quantitative evaluation, the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity index (SSIM), and correlation coefficient (CC) were calculated. In addition, intensity profile analysis was performed to assess the model’s ability to restore the boundary signals more precisely. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed model outperformed both the signal and structural restoration compared to single U-Net and U-Net-based generative adversarial network (GAN) models. Consequently, the PSNR, SSIM, and CC values demonstrated relative improvements of approximately 1.017, 1.023, and 1.010 times, respectively, compared to the input images. In particular, the intensity profile analysis confirmed the effectiveness of the nested U-Net-based generator in restoring cellular boundaries and structures in the stained microscopy images. In conclusion, the proposed model effectively enhanced the resolution of stained light microscopy images acquired in a multichannel format.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/12/7/665stained light microscopysuper-resolutionmultichannel image reconstructiongenerative adversarial networknested U-Net
spellingShingle Seong-Hyeon Kang
Ji-Youn Kim
Nested U-Net-Based GAN Model for Super-Resolution of Stained Light Microscopy Images
Photonics
stained light microscopy
super-resolution
multichannel image reconstruction
generative adversarial network
nested U-Net
title Nested U-Net-Based GAN Model for Super-Resolution of Stained Light Microscopy Images
title_full Nested U-Net-Based GAN Model for Super-Resolution of Stained Light Microscopy Images
title_fullStr Nested U-Net-Based GAN Model for Super-Resolution of Stained Light Microscopy Images
title_full_unstemmed Nested U-Net-Based GAN Model for Super-Resolution of Stained Light Microscopy Images
title_short Nested U-Net-Based GAN Model for Super-Resolution of Stained Light Microscopy Images
title_sort nested u net based gan model for super resolution of stained light microscopy images
topic stained light microscopy
super-resolution
multichannel image reconstruction
generative adversarial network
nested U-Net
url https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/12/7/665
work_keys_str_mv AT seonghyeonkang nestedunetbasedganmodelforsuperresolutionofstainedlightmicroscopyimages
AT jiyounkim nestedunetbasedganmodelforsuperresolutionofstainedlightmicroscopyimages